


Caught Out (No Cure)

by Ms Sonny Joon (PoppyECM)



Category: Disney Fairies
Genre: Alternate Ending, Bobble Whump, Fever, Gen, Hurt, Hurt Bobble, Hurt/Comfort, Hypothermia, Secret of the Wings, Sick Character, Whump, Wings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-10
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-16 02:49:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29324991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PoppyECM/pseuds/Ms%20Sonny%20Joon
Summary: After the fairies discover the snow machine was out of control they managed to stop it by pushing it down into the river, however what if while everyone was busy trying to save the Pixie Dust Tree it got caught on the next waterfall and started up again? As the freeze closes in on the source of all magic in Pixie Hollow who can stop a second snow storm from forming and causing another wave of destruction following the freeze. And who can help them recover from the damage?
Relationships: Clarion/Milori (Disney Fairies)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 11





	1. The Freeze

**Author's Note:**

  * For [redKardinal](https://archiveofourown.org/users/redKardinal/gifts).



> This fic is dedicated to redKardinal who's Fairy Tales series has gotten me through a tough week and filled my heart with such joy! Please go give them a read, comment and subscribe, if you like Bobble you'll love their stories. Also redKardinal if I have accidentally stolen any lore from you it's because I've consumed all the movies and your fanfics in a week and a half and have definitely confused some of your ideas for canon so please let me know if you want me to change any thing and I will. Thank you so much, enjoy!
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/users/redKardinal/

“The tree should be our top priority, but any fairies we can spare should try to frost the rest of the seasons” Lord Milori ordered from the back of his great snowy owl. “Start at the freeze line and spread out to Spring to Summer.” He nodded to sled who fell back and lead a fleet of frost fairies back towards the boarder. “The rest of you, cover the tree!”

Tinkerbell watched as the Lord of Winter landed on the branches of the Pixie Dust tree and dismounted, streaks of pixie dust cut through the cold winds across the surrounding warm seasons. What distruction her invention had caused, she only hoped that she had gotten help in time to save the tree.

“Tink!” Clank ran up to her, a thick leaf blanket sliding off his shoulder in his rush. “Bobble’s not inside the tree!”

“What?!” 

“He was with me, handing out blankets, then he went with a group to pick up the last load. I thought he had come back but he’s not here!” Clank continued to look around, releasing his wings from the blanket to flutter about. 

“Clank! Cover your wings!” Fairy Mary called, pulling him back down to the central branch and tucking the blanket tightly around his broad shoulders. 

“But Fairy Mary, Bobble’s missing!” 

“Oh my!”

“We must find him.” Queen Clarion decreed. “Periwinkle, check each entrance to the tree, find out if someone has seen him.” With a nod from Lord Milori the frost fairy darted down across the tree in a hurry.

“Oh where is he?” Clank fretted, anxiously tugging at his blanket and fruitlessly trying to squint through the storm fast approaching. “Oh no.”

“What is it?” Tink rushed to his side, looking out across the valley. “The machine must’ve gotten caught again!” The dark blue freeze was creeping across the land joined by a building swirling snow storm from the border, just like the one that had formed when this whole mess began. “We have to stop it!” 

“You can’t fly out in this, when you reach the freeze your wings will be ruined. Once the tree is safe I will send my fairies to stop the machine.” Milori told them, watching the storm carefully.

“Tinkerbell, Clank, the rest of you, get inside. You must stay safe from the freeze.” Clarion gestured to the frosted leaves covering the closest entrance to the tree.

“But your majesty-”

“We’ll find him, Clank, but we’re no use to Bobble frozen, come now.” Fairy Mary took Clank’s hand and began leading him back to safety. 

“Lord Milori! Tink! He’s not in the tree!” Periwinkle called, zooming back to the branch as fast as she could. “The team that went with him saw him pick up a load of blankets and they thought he was following them back but he’s not here.”

“Fairy Mary!” Clank pleaded. A gust of ice cold wind cut through the frosted canepay of the tree, sending shivers through the warm weather fairies. 

“We’ve no choice, Clank, we can’t stay out in this cold.” Fairy Mary told him, clearly heavily conflicted. “My lord, please one of my fairies is missing!” 

“We’ll find him.” Milori nodded. “Periwinkle, send a group of our fastest flyers out to the boarder to stop the machine. Tell them to look out for this-”

“Bobble!” 

“-Bobble tinker fairy, getting him out of the cold is a top priority.”

“Yes, my lord.” Periwinkle took one last glance at Tinkerbell before zooming back out of the shelter of the Pixie Dust Tree. 

“Fairy Mary I insist, you must all take shelter.” Clarion guided them back towards the tree trunk, a frown weighing down her ageless face.

“Yes, your majesty. Come now, Clank. I’m sure Bobble has got himself to safety, he’s a smart lad.” Fairy Mary flew Clank and Tink into the frosted bunker, making sure the door was shut tightly behind them. The dark was stifling and only clouded breaths of scared fairies moved within, waiting for the freeze to hit. The three of them settled down against the inside of the tree trunk, huddling under their blankets shoulder to shoulder for warmth. 

“What happened?” Vidia whispered, seeing Clank so shaken and clinging to Fairy Mary’s hand with a grip that would surely hurt if it were any tighter. 

“Bobble’s missing, he’s not in the tree.” Tink whispered, tears stinging at her eyes. The other fairies within ear shot gasped, looking to each other for comfort and the door for some hope their lost sparrowman would simply walk in right then. Whispers spread back through the hollow and down the trunk of the tree, then silence. The freeze had hit. The warm fairies watched in horror as deep blue ice spread over the entrances and the air became heavy with the harsh cold.

The wait was unbearable.

Tinkerbell kept her eyes on the door, praying for something, anything to break the silence. A shadow moved, then a golden glow came back into view. Queen Clarion. Tink got to her feet and pushed the door open, padding out on to the frozen branch. The Pixie Dust Tree was gone. It wasn't destroyed but it was unrecognisable. The warm browns and bright greens were replaced by a deep unforgiving blue. Ice covered every inch of the tree and everything seemed so dark. It was dark, Tink realised. The Pixie Dust had stopped flowing and it’s glow was gone. She had never seen the hollow so lifeless. Periwinkle stepped into her field of view, trying to offer comfort but until the tree unfroze nothing was certain. Hand in hand with her sister, Tinkerbell gathered with the others on the mushroom platform below the dust falls with Queen Clarion, Lord Mirlori and her friends waiting anxiously. Clank shuffled his feet, unable to keep his eyes on the tree alone, he looked ready to take off at any moment. They waited.

Moments passed. They felt like an age.

The slightest crack sounded.

Then another.

A crunch of frost and a soft jingle.

Speck by speck golden Pixie dust spilled over the edge of the mushrooms, breaking into a stream and flowing down the tree. The fairies cheered! Despite the freeze, the Pixie Dust Tree returned to life, it’s light signaling the fairies to leave the tree and celebrate in it’s golden glow.

“It worked!” 

“We did it!” 

“We have to find Bobble-”

“The tree is saved!”

“We’ll still be able to fly!”

“This is amazing!”

“Tink, come on!”

Tinkerbell hesitated.

“Tink?” Periwinkle glided back down the ceremony platform to her sister, who couldn’t meet her gaze. “What’s wrong?” Tinkerbell said nothing. Slowly she turned and slid off her coat, her sorrow telling the others what had happened before they even saw. Over her shoulders her wings drooped back, one of them severely cracked almost halfway down the from the top. “Oh Tink. When you flew into winter that’s why you fell.” Tinkerbell turned to face her and nodded, the reality setting in. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“We had to save the tree.” Tink sighed and shook her head. “Besides, there’s no cure for a broken wing.”

“I’m so sorry.” Periwinkle looked about to cry, most of them did. A broken wing was a grievous wound that had not been seen in Pixie Hollow since Lord Milori’s fateful day.

“This happened because we tried to keep you apart.” Queen Clarion said mournfully, holding tight to Milori’s arm. “But never again.”

“You belong together.” He agreed, looking at Tinkerbell with such sorrowful understanding.

“Lord Milori.” A winter scout fairy rose to the platform level with a small group following him. “The storm from the machine stopped before we were half way across autumn so we returned, we flew closer to the ground and checked the Tinker’s workshop but we saw no sign of the lost warm fairy.” 

“Bobble, no.” Clank gasped, looking to his queen for guidance. Fairy Mary put her hand on his arm, unsure of what to do.

“Send as many fairies as possible, go to the south side of the tree and keep searching as you fly back to winter. Knock on doors, look under shelters, we must find the warm fairy. Don’t risk your wings, keep heading north as you search, soon the warm fairies will be able to fly out to check anywhere missed. Go!” Milori ordered, holding tight to Clarion’s hand. A warm breeze drifted through the Pixie Dust tree, scattering some stray dust form the smaller dust falls onto nearby fairies. 

“You better get back to Winter.” Tinkerbell said sadly, a deep acceptance had settled in her eyes and Periwinkle could hardly bear it. 

“Yeah.” 

“I’ll be okay.” Tink offered a ghost of a smile to wave off her concern. It didn’t work.

“I’ll see you tomorrow at the border.” Periwinkle said, hesitating a moment. “Sisters?” Tink smiled for real this time, joining hands with Peri. 

“Sisters.” She nodded. For what might be the last time the two fairies turned away from each other and carefully lined up their wings, raising them skyward and matching the delicate swirls together. The sparkle of their wings turned to a powerful glow and they jumped apart in shock. “Jingles!” Tinkerbell looked to her tingling wings and saw the split was shimmering brightly, what if… The two of them stepped back together and as they raised their wings, sunlight came streaming down through the frosted leaves of the Pixie Dust Tree and the glow they exuded momentarily blinded all near. 

Blinking out the light, Tinkerbell stepped away from Periwinkle and gasped. Her wing was healed! The fissure was gone without a trace! Holding on to her sister’s hand she carefully rose into the air, then confidently took flight. The surrounding fairies cheered as she soared through the air, her wings renewed.

“That’s a new chapter!” Dewy gasped excitedly, pointing with his staff.

“Fairy Mary please! We have to find Bobble!” Clank begged, having shed his blanket to hold it tightly in his fist and looking over the edge of the tree frightfully. 

“Do you think it’s warm enough now, your majesty?” Mary looked to her queen who thought for a moment. 

“I’m not sure, perhaps it’s best to let the winter fairies search first until we know for sure.”

“We can’t wait any longer! He could be hurt!” Clank gasped. “Please your majesty he could be frozen!” Clarion looked just as pained at the realisation, Milori tightened his grip on her waist as he watched his searching fairies pass the tree and started to head north. 

“Peri could you use your frost on someone’s wings?” Tink asked suddenly. “If it can save the Pixie Dust Tree from the freeze why can’t it stop warm fairy wings from getting too cold?”

“But what it hurts you?” 

“Does it hurt you to get frost on your wings?”

“Well no but-”

“Try it on me, if it doesn’t work we can just heal me. Clank’s right, Bobble doesn’t have any time to spare.” Peri hesitated before nodding, fluttering to Tinkerbell’s back and running her fingers across the top edges of her wings, coating them with a gentle frost. Tink gasped, the other fairies froze in fear. Then she flapped her wings and fluttered off the ground. 

“It doesn’t hurt! It feels warm, it works!” She grinned, then quickly switched to serious and determined. “Quick, frost our wings, we have a tinker to find!” In a flurry of Pixie Dust the warm fairy friends had their wings frosted and zoomed out of the tree to check the seasons for Bobble. “Clank, we’ll search Tinker’s Nook first. That’s the last place he was seen."

“Right.” Clank nodded, no one had ever seen the sparrowman so serious before.

The two of them sped over to Tinker’s Nook, calling Bobble’s name as they checked each frozen house and basket they could. Clank felt his heart clenching fearfully as the search came up fruitless. Then he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Under the slowly melting layer of ice on the ground lay a small bundle of blankets. “Tink!”

“Yes Clank?” She called, popping up from behind the wagon fixing station and flying over.

“The last blankets, Bobble didn’t bring them back to the tree.”

“Oh no. Maybe he saw the storm and went back to stop the machine!” Tink gasped.

“But the freeze-” Clank couldn’t finish the thought, he looked desperately to Tinkerbell and she took his hand. 

“Come on, we’ll find him.” She pulled his arm and they took off through the Autumn Woods to the border.  On the border a handful of winter fairies were still searching, calling out for Bobble and squinting across the river for any sign of him. Tink felt her heart begin to sink. 

“Look Tink, the machine.” Clank flew ahead to where pieces of the machine had spewed across the banks of the river. It seemed the machine hadn’t stayed sunk and had gotten caught above the next step down in the river, but whatever happened had definitely stopped the machine and broken it properly. Guilt weighed even heavier on Tink’s shoulders, if only they’d never made it. “Bobble! Bobble please! Where are you?! Bobble!” Clank called desperately, inspecting all the nooks and crannies in the banks around the machine. As his hope began to dwindle and his flying slowed he heard a faint whispering. Confused he tried to fly towards it but it got quieter so he tried the other direction. The bell of the snow funnel had landed flare downwards on the ice and was frozen in place. Water dripped from the small end as the snow melted off it, that’s where the whispering was coming from. Leaning in and straining his ears Clank realised the whispering was sharp small gasps, fairy gasps. “In here! Help me move this!” 

Tink zoomed over and the two of them began desperately tugging at the ice covered metal. Two winter fairies rushed to their aid, cutting their hands through the ice with ease and loosening the funnel enough to push it over. Tink gasped. In the circle of snow left beneath the funnel there was Bobble. He was paler than she’d ever seen anyone, his hair was covered in snow and though he didn’t shiver his back shuddered with each strained small gasp. The poor sparrowman was on his knees in the snow, curled as small as he could get and his wings… His wings. The tall delicate appendages were frozen solid, even the winter fairies looked pained at the sight. The fairies hesitated, too afraid to even touch him, but Clank unfroze first. He knelt down next to his friend and pulled his own blanket over Bobble’s shoulders. As delicately as he could he lifted the smaller sparrowman into his arms and off the ice.

“...H-have to st-st-stop… st-stop the the machine… have t-to…” Bobble was whispered, his face pinched tight in pain, unaware he had been found. 

“Bobble, it’s me. It’s Clank. We found you. You did it, Bobble.” Clank called to him gently, tears running down his face. Tinkerbell closed in and almost pulled back again in fear of hurting him. Carefully she reached down and pulled Bobble’s goggles off him, the dew drops were frozen to disks and surely must be making him colder. His ears, hands and lips were turning blue and without his goggles he seemed smaller and the pain on his face was much easier to read. “Snap out of it, Bobble. Please, it’s okay now.” Clank sniffed.

“...C….Cl-clank?” Bobble gasped timidly, cracking open his frosted eyelashes and blinking in confusion.

“It’s me, we found you, Bobble.” 

“You did it, you stopped the machine for good.” Tink nodded, taking one of his hands and trying to rub some warmth back into them. The one blanket was simply not enough, she shrugged off her coat and tucked it in around him, praying that his shoes had been enough protection that he wouldn’t lose any of his toes. 

“Th-the tree?” Bobble whispered, straining towards Clank in desperation. He looked delirious with the cold, his eyes hazy and unfocused, his hair more white than red.

“The winter fairies covered it in frost, they saved it.” Clank told him earnestly, hugging his friend tighter to his chest. 

“... the fre..the freeze…” The small tinker seemed to struggle for air, so cold that his breath didn’t cloud in the cold air like Tink and Clank’s did. His eyes fluttered dangerously and he lost focus. 

“Bobble don’t fall asleep!” Clank begged, shaking him the tiniest bit, as much as he dared. Tink retook the sparrowman’s hand to warm it, feeling a desperate need to help in any way she could.

“...safe… was e-e-everyone sssafe?” Bobble managed, blinking up at Clank. 

“Yes Bobble, no one got hurt.” He glanced at Tink and winced, sniffing.  _ Just you two. _

“Oh you’ve found him!” Fairy Mary cried, flying into view and recoiling at the sight of her charge so ill. “Oh my. Phineas, you poor poor boy.” She gasped, joining Tink at the boys’ side. 

“He stopped the storm from getting worse.” Lord Milori said gravely from the back of his snowy owl as it landed on the border bridge. 

“He sacrificed himself for everyone in Pixie Hollow.” Clarion sounded pained as she approached, hands clasped to her chest.

“Y...your ma...maje-...” Bobble had lifted his head slightly to see the queen but it proved too much for him, his eyes rolled and fell shut. He head gently thunked against Clank’s chest and the larger sparrowman whimpered in fear.

“Clank, quickly- take Phineas back to the Pixie Dust Tree. The healer fairies will still be there, they will do all they can for him. Go!” Queen Clarion ordered, her hand on Fairy Mary’s shoulder. Clank nodded and with Tink behind him they zoomed back into the forest. “Oh Fairy Mary, I’m so sorry. Such a brave fairy.”

“Do-do you think he’ll live, your Majesty?” She whimpered, trembling with worry.

“To have survived the freeze he is much stronger than he seems, have hope Fairy Mary, that is all we can do for him now.” She gestured for Fairy Mary to follow her charges, lingering behind to say goodbye to her winter fairy.

“I’m sorry we didn’t find him in time, Clarion.” He sighed, pulling her close and pressing their foreheads together.

“He’s strong, we have to pray he will pull through. After all this, the heartbreak of death is near unbearable to face.” She said quietly, hugging into the lord tightly before sharing a sad kiss. Their joined hands lingering for a moment she backed into the autumn forest and returned to the Pixie Dust tree.


	2. In and Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bobble's experience with the healer talent fairies as he falls in and out of sleep. Will he pull through the hypothermia? What will become of his frozen wings?

“Healer Clara, I think he’s waking up.”

“Let’s hope not, get some essence of poppy at the ready just in case. He doesn’t want to be awake during this, if he panics he could hurt himself more.”

“Yes ma’am.” 

“Stoke the coals, we can safely raise the temperature now. I need another heat lamp on his wings, please.”

“Yes ma’am” A third voice replied, quieter so perhaps further away? A wave of warmth blew across his face and sent him reeling for a moment. When he came back to his senses someone had taken hold of his hands and was gently soaking them with water between two towels. The water was hot, hotter than Phineas thought necessary. Surely they were trying to stop him from freezing, not trying to burn him. A whimper forced his way out of his dry throat, fingers twitching away but otherwise too heavy to move. 

“Healer Clara.” 

“Stay calm, Phineas.” The deep authoritative voice turned to honey and poured over him. “You’re safe now, we’re going to get you warm again.” She told him. Delicate fingers massaged his aching hands and a comforting hand stroked down his arm. “Relax, you’re in safe hands, Phineas.” The familiar glittering noise of pixie dust sounded above him and though the warmth around him was starting to ache the dusting was very welcome. All at once Bobble found he couldn’t feel much any more, though he knew his body was hurting he felt peaceful and before he was aware of anything else he was back under.

* * *

The next time Bobble came around was not so calm. The first thing he became aware of was a deep and intense ache in each and every one of his bones, his skin was uncomfortably tight and his muscles burned. Something warm was bundled up between his hands and pressed close to his chest, his feet were being similarly treated. Due to some sort of hat he had been given the cold tips of his ears pushed against his head, where a wicked headache raged. His chest felt tight and each breath rattled through his raw throat and hurt his lungs. Bobble whined helplessly, wishing he had the strength to get up and leave this torture. 

“We’ll be needing that poppy now, Needle.”

“Ready, Healer Clara.” A sweet smelling cream was smeared across his forehead and, with the aid of some healer talent magic, it instantly dissolved into his skin. The effects were instant and dizzying. Bobble could feel his body continue to shiver almost violently but the lead-heaviness of his limbs seemed to have spread to his head and was he helpless against it. 

“Tell the tinkers I need these leaks redirected immediately, any chance of the temperature dropping is dangerous right now.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Secure a blanket over his legs and another down from his shoulders to his arms. Shivering is a good sign but we can’t inspect the wings while he’s moving so much.”

“Tying.”

“Good. Where are those silk screens?”

“On their way, ma’am.” The voices around him faded beyond comprehension and Bobble felt himself floating towards blessed unconsciousness.

* * *

Bobble was cold. His skin was hot beneath the heat radiating around the room burrowing under his blankets but the freeze still raged on inside his bones. He shivered, his face pinched in pain as his muscles cramped, and signed.

“It’ll be okay, Bobble.” A large hand gently squeezed his shoulder.

“...Clank?” He whispered, a sharp pain rattling along his vocal cords as he forced them into action.

“Yeah it’s me, I’m so glad you’re awake!” Bobble pried open his eyes and found Clank leaning right down to his eye level, his smile wide enough to be distinguishable without his goggles on. 

“Hurts.” Clank’s smile fell.

“I know, you’ve been shivering for ages. The healers said that was good but it’ll make you tired, like running for a long time.” He explained, fidgeting with the edge of the blanket before squeezing Bobble’s shoulder again. “You’re gonna be okay.” Bobble was silent for a moment, exhausted.

“Thanks f’r savin’ me.” He managed, trying to look earnest despite his weak grasp on reality. Clank leant back in surprise, his eyebrows rising enough in surprise that Bobble could see the shadows on his face shift.

“But Bobble, you saved us! Lord Milori said that if you hadn’t stopped the machine the storm would have been much worse, you’re a hero.” 

“‘Would’ve died.” 

“I’m so sorry I didn’t find you sooner.” Clank looked down, taking his hand away and hunching his shoulders. Bobble pulled on a reserve of strength he shouldn’t have had after such an ordeal, and pushed his trembling hand out of the blankets to take hold of Clank’s. Clank took his hand in both of his reverently, his head rising quickly to meet Bobble’s eyes.

“ _ Would’ve died. _ ” He insisted. Clank sniffled sadly, tucking Bobble’s thin arm back under the blankets but keeping hold of his hand.

“You’re gonna be okay.” He nodded and Bobble could hear the tears caught behind his words. Weakly he squeezed Clank’s hand and let his eyes close again, curling around their joined hands like a life line before falling back down into a deep sleep.

* * *

Bobble was now getting quite sick of falling asleep. According to Healer Clara he had been warmed up sufficiently but would still be exhausted for a while and to expect the muscle cramps, aches and the high likelihood of sickness. While he had been unconscious they had initially treated him in the Pixie Dust tree, tinkers fashioning a rough furnace and chimney to warm the hollow they had put him in and everyone who got their wings frosted first had immediately given up their blankets to him, keeping him insulated from the cold floor and air. A team of healer fairies worked tirelessly on slowly raising his temperature safely while the rest of them along with a squad of tinkers and water fairies got the hospital back up and running while the ice started to melt. Once they were sure they could move him without damaging his wings any further they bundled him up and carried him down to a room that had a fire already going and heat lamp lightning bugs ready to aid in his recovery. Bobble had no clear sense of how long he had been out of commission for but considering he couldn’t sit up unassisted and would fall asleep mid conversation he figured he still had a long way to go. Healers woke him up regularly with water and sometimes honey tea to soothe his throat and to make him take various seeds and concoctions for the pain though he was rarely awake enough to remember most of these visits. 

The other main constant in his life was Clank, most times when he was half sat up against his pillows Clank would immediately come in to fill his waking moments with as much cheer as he could manage. Often Bobble would insist he told him how the warm side of Pixie Hollow was recovering and Clank would gladly tell him but tried to avoid talking about ice or the border in fear of upsetting him with memories of the freeze. Once all the ice had melted Tinker’s Nook and other similar places such as the food market and the lower buildings of the Dust Depot had been somewhat flooded. Ice had gotten into machinery, weakening the components and the subsequent melt had mostly destroyed any vines, spider silk or glue holding things together, so most things were being done mostly by hand. The dust fairies were suffering most from this as everyone was so busy flying around fixing the damage that refills had to be on time or lack of dust became yet another factor in showing everyone down. Fairy Gary had them on a tight schedule, they had even gone back to giving people refill scoops at the fountain when they needed them to ensure that everyone got their dust on time. Bobble was slightly surprised but proud to hear that along with healers Tinkers were the highest priority on dust distribution as though they couldn’t regrow trees or move flood waters they were the only ones able to fix the fairies’ infrastructure properly and quick enough to hopefully get them back on target before spring arrived on the mainland. He often asked about their friends and though Clank would tell him what they were up to Bobble felt he was missing part of the story, and his friend would always quickly change the subject when he asked about Tinkerbell or Periwinkle. He was starting to get frustrated with this but during one of his bouts of wakefulness it was Tink who came in to talk to him instead of Clank.

“Hiya, Miss Bell.” He grinned, lifting his head from the pillows he leant against to accept a very careful hug from her.

“Hi Bobble.” She smiled, somewhat timidly, and settled into the chair next to his bed. Bobble noticed she was wearing her winter coat, which was unsurprising considering Clank told him it was still fairly cold on their side of the hollow and the weather hadn’t quite settled yet. “How are you doing?”

“Oh well, I can’t stay awake for more than half an hour and muscles I didn’t even know I had are aching but I get free tea so I can’t complain.” Bobble said lightly, taking another sip from the small acorn mug that was keeping his half wrapped hands warm. He’d expected Tink to at least give a small laugh but instead she looked pained. “What’s wrong?”

“I have something to tell you. About the day of the freeze.” Tink sighed, her hands clenched together nervously on her lap. 

“Oh.”

“I-I- Well first I wanted to say I’m so so sorry, Bobble. You nearly died trying to stop the machine that I designed and-” The sparrowman put a hand up to stop her.

“We built that machine together, Miss Bell. We all agreed to help you and we thought we were doing the right thing. It’s not just your fault, I don’t blame you.” Somehow Tinkerbell looked even more pained at that.

“The thing is something happened, after I left with my last run of woodlice and you went to get the rest of the blankets.”

“...Right?”

“Remember when Peri put frost around the periwinkle flower that Rosetta gave her?” Bobble nodded so she continued. “I had taken it back to my house after she went back to winter. Since my furnace was on keeping the animals warm it had started to melt but I realised the flower was still alive. You see, frost works like a blanket, it keeps the warm air in and keeps plants alive.”

“That’s amazing, so that’s how you figured out to frost the Pixie Dust Tree.” He smiled, taking another drink from his cup and readjusting the blanket over his shoulders.

“Yeah but I had to go into winter to get Peri to help us.” Tinkerbell took a shaky breath and looked down, her shoulders tense. “I flew all the way there, my wings froze and I fell out of the sky. I kept my coat on for the rest of the time so until we saved the Pixie Dust Tree no one knew… No one knew that my wing had broken.” Bobble’s chest tightened and he stayed quiet, he was starting to realise why Clank had left this part of the story out. Looking at Tinkerbell now she definitely still had two fully functioning wings and the numbness of his back and the carefully wrapped bundle behind him seemed like a story with a very different ending. “Peri had to go back to winter as the temperature started to rise again so before she left we touched wings again but… The sparkling, it fixed my broken wing. I-i could fly again a-and-” Tink let out a sniffle, tears stealing her words from her, Bobble said nothing. “I-I’m so sorry, Bobble, you were in the cold so much longer than I was a-and Queen Clarion says there’s no- there’s no other-”

“No cure, I know.” Bobble said quietly, feeling heavy again. He put his cup down and resisted the urge to glance over his shoulder. They were quiet for a long moment.

“Do you know how bad-”

“No, I-I haven’t looked yet. The healers say they’ve had them in a brace as long as they could to see if that would help prevent- to prevent- well, you know. I’ve barely been awake but when I have been I’ve been too scared to ask. It makes it real, you know?” Bobble blink back the stinging of tears and forced even breaths through the iron grip that had settled around his lungs. Finally, he said, “I’m glad you’re okay, Tink.”

“Really?” Tink looked up in surprise, meeting his eyes properly again. 

“Of course, you didn’t think I’d want you grounded just because I- I-” Bobble forced another breath. “I’d never wish you pain, Miss Bell, I’m glad Miss Peri could heal you. Really, I am. I don’t want you to feel guilty about it either.”

“But if I had never-”

“It’s in the past, Tinkerbell.” He sighed. “You’re my friend, I’m glad you’re okay.” Tinkerbell looked at him with big teary eyes and a wobbling lip, Bobble struggled to give her a small smile and opened his arms for a hug. Tink rushed forward and pressed her face to his shoulder, trying not to cry on his shirt. 

“Thank you, Bobble. I’m so sorry this happened, but I’m so glad you’re still here. I don’t know what we’d do without you.” She whispered. Bobble just rested his head against hers and breathed. His head felt even heavier now, his head aching, and when Tinkerbell finally pulled away he was once again asleep.

* * *

Bobble had been awake for ten minutes now, his hands were cold in their mittens and he felt as though the conversation with Tinkerbell had turned him to stone. Everyone had already been tip-toeing around him with information about the miraculous and rare cure and if he didn’t buck up and find out how bad the damage was to his wings they’d start tip-toeing around that too. It was time to take a look. If only he could bring himself to call the healer, normally they bring him a warm drink when they see him awake but he must be out of danger if they’re confident they don’t have to check on him every five minutes. That was a small comfort at least…

“Come on, Phineas, you coward. All you have to do is call- Splinters!” He gasped as Healer Clara suddenly appeared at the door, interrupting his fretting.

“Are you alright, Bobble?” She asked gently, walking in at a slower pace.”

“I-I’m fine, you just surprised me.” He sighed, picking at the soft cotton inside his mittens. “I was just about to call for you.”

“Oh?” She hummed, fetching him a cup of warm tea from the kettle they had warming by the furnace in his hospital room. Bobble watched her add a drop of honey before he managed to find his voice again. 

“I…” He took the drink from her and cradled it in his hands, trying to let the warmth in but he still felt icy inside. “I think it’s time I had a look at my wings.” Clara put a gentle hand on his shoulder, he looked up and she had taken a seat on the chair beside his bed. 

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m ready. I need to know.”

“Alright.” She nodded reassuringly but her face remained serious. “I’m not going to lie to you Bobble, we weren’t sure you were going to make it at all after the freeze but you pulled through. That alone is a miracle. Your wings were completely frozen when you were brought to us, I haven’t had a case so bad in all my years. They will have been severely brittle and fragile while you were being warmed up and they are most certainly damaged.” The healer talent gave him a moment to absorb the information before she quietly continued. “I’m sorry to say it’s highly unlikely you’ll be able to fly on them, all we can hope for now is that the damage won’t cause you lasting pain.” Bobble squeezed his eyes shut behind his goggles and took a shaking breath. Is this how Lord Milori felt? Were melting wings more painful than frozen ones? To never fly again… “Take a deep breath.” Oh right, breathing. He could do that. Slowly he looked up to her and nodded. 

“I understand, I-I’m ready.”

Healer Clara had him lay down on his side and began untying the leaves and small twigs that were keeping his wings straight and flat while he rested. He shivered as they were taken away and then the healer began undoing to stitches that held layers of spider silk screens around his wings. They had put those on as soon as possible to act as a cover while still letting as much warmth to his wings as possible, conveniently sewing around the unique shape of his wings kept them stay still and flat during his healing. 

“I want you to carefully raise your wings to a neutral position, I’m going to guide them. You might feel some pain so take it as slow as you need.” Bobble squeezed his eyes shut, forcing himself to let go of blissful ignorance and began to move his wings. A sharp pain, a bolt of lightning, shot down from the root of his wings and up his back. It was so strong he felt it in his fingers and toes, and particularly in his head where it clattered around leaving him reeling. “We were afraid this was going to happen. Take a breath and keep going, we need to see what range of movement you have.” Clara said gently, Bobble could barely feel the support of her hands beneath the stinging in his back but he carried on until his wings were stretched out to their full height. 

“It hurts.”

“Can you tell me where?”

“The base of my wings, it’s shooting up my back, a-and I can feel the air on parts of my wings like it’s freezing.”

“The cold is the air touching the edge of the cracks in your wings, those parts have never been exposed like this before but I’m hoping that sensation will be one you can get used to, the pain on the other hand is a more complicated issue.” Clara moved some things around behind him and he felt her holding his wings gently in position. “I want you to slowly push yourself to sit up and we’ll go from there. Try to keep your wings still if you can.”

“Okay.” Bobble took a shaky breath before doing as she said, surprised the transition was not as painful as he expected, she must be a talented healer to be so gentle. 

“Can you open your wings?” He did so but couldn’t hold back another pained gasp, his hands clenching to fists in the blankets over his lap. “It feels bad.” 

“It’s not a simple break, that’s for sure.” Clara muttered, doing some more checks before straightening again. “A part of your wing has cracked from the outer edge to the root, this seems to have exposed a nerve. It’s not clear yet whether that nerve will heal itself or if we’ll have to brace your wings to manage the pain for you. No amount of pixie dust would help you control the lower section of this severed wing, it’s too damaged there alone to support flight.” Bobble didn’t know what to say. His head was starting to hammer to the beat of the stinging in his back, tears built up in his eyes and his chest was tight again.

“C-can I see?” 

“Of course, stay still, I’ll find you a mirror.” 

A few moments later Clara came back, pulling a long mirror across the floor and leaning against the wall opposite him. Bobble was too afraid to open his eyes, he jumped when she put her hand on his shoulder again. “The mirror is in front of you, take your time.” She said softly before stepping aside. Now or never, he supposed. Well it could be never, he could tell them to wrap his wings and not look at them again. Then again he’d probably have to take them out to wash and the brace was sure to get dirty eventually, and if any of his friends saw they’d look at him like he was a ghost who didn’t know he’d died. Bobble didn’t think he could take that, such pity would be more painful than knowing himself. Finally he looked. Tears fell. 

His wings were ruined. 

Once grand, tall wings were torn in multiple places. On his left a shard was missing from the side and the base section had a jagged edge on it’s outer edge. His right was far worse. The tall edge had ripped down and back outwards leaving the delicate tip of his wing leaning away dangerously from the rest of the wing, then further down a section from the base of the upper section, about the width of his boney wrist, had an almost clean break right from the outside edge to where it connected to his back. With his wings open he couldn’t see the very base of his wing but he could see that section drooping uselessly and knew that that was what was causing him so much pain. They were ravaged, useless, shattered. There was no way, miraculous wing sparkling twin or not, that they were going to be healed. Bobble was grounded for the rest of his life. 

He took in the sight of them until he had to take his goggles were made useless by his tears and his chest ached from holding back sobs. Clara obligingly took the mirror away, quietly re-braced his wings and helped him lie back down. Uncaring whether she had any parting words for him, Bobble curled up tight under the blankets and cried himself to sleep, his head hurting almost as badly as the breaking of his heart.


End file.
